2006 reminder.
“For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things (Romans 1:21-23)
“Prove a man ungrateful, and you have placed him below the beasts, for even the brutes frequently exhibit the most touching gratitude to their benefactors. The old classic story of Androcles and the lion rises before us; the man healed the lion, and years after, the lion, being let loose upon him, crouched at his feet and acknowledged him as a friend. Only the most despised creatures are used as metaphors of ingratitude; for instance, we speak of the ass which drinks, and then kicks the bucket it has emptied, but we never speak thus of nobler animals. An ungrateful man is thus lower than the animals; inasmuch as he returns evil for good, he is worse than bestial, he is devilish. Ingratitude is essentially infernal. Ingratitude to friends is vile, to parents it is worse, to the Savior it is worst of all“ (Charles H. Spurgeon, “Ingratitude of Man,” preached June 9, 1872, Metropolitan Tabernacle)
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11 comments:
Wow, in all my years of secularism and agnosticism before being brought to my knees in repentance, this is the first I've heard of "Turkey Day." So now it's offensive even to merely say we're giving thanks, even if name of the holiday doesn't even mention the Object of our gratitude?
I'd go a step further and boycott the turkey itself, but I don't think that would go over well in my house.
Boo!
The turkey's one of the things I'm thankful for!
A co-worker wished me a happy "Turkey Day." I told him I didn't celebrate "Turkey Day," I celebrated Thanksgiving, and had a lot to be thankful for.
He said (smiling) "So I suppose you're not too big on 'Xmas'?"
"Don't even get me started," I chuckled.
Happy Thanksgiving Phillips family! We are truely thankful for you! Pettengills
You have to wonder why sometimes people and organizations and advertisers are so politically correct. Maybe one reason they do stuff like this is to get away with all the nasty things they say and do during the holidays.
For example, can you imagine a TV advertising saying - "Today, all day, we're having a Chucky Thanksgiving Marathon?" (Chucky is that nasty murderous doll.) I guess it's more palatable to say to we're having a Turkey Day Chucky Marathon. Anyway, think about all the stupid and despicable things that are done with the holidays, I would rather them use the politically correct term if they’re going to relate it to something stupid. But as for me, I stick to the traditional term and I would prefer they also as long as they related it to the more traditional and wholesome terms.
I've been thinking about this post since Wednesday.
I understand and appreciate your intent, but having been exposed to extreme forms of legalism, it makes me leery to read pronouncements on the correct way to refer to a man-made holiday.
I don't know that I've ever used the phrase "Turkey Day," but if a believer lives a life of gratitude and is a daily example of Christ's love, and still says "Turkey Day," is it the end of the world?
In the same vein, I see little value in someone holding the phrase "Turkey Day" in disdain if it is done self-righteously. (Not implying that this is the case here, but just as an example.)
Is this an example of a "foolish controversy" or is it an instance of "out of the heart the mouth speaks"?
This is something that I think about a lot this time of year. I can't tell you how many diatribes I've heard about putting Christ back into Christmas (another man-made observance), but it's not fashionable to get up-in-arms about whether we are properly observing the Lord's Supper.
Please don't misunderstand me. I LOVE Thanksgiving, and any day we set aside to give thanks is a very good thing. And I do understand the spirit of this post. But I've just seen these kinds of ideas get carried to the extreme.
Writing and Living,
I can only imagine what you went through being exposed to such legalism.
But while there may be examples of extremes on the Christian side, I believe the real extremes are on the side of political correctness and if there is an extreme on the Christian side it's only a response to the extremes of political correctness.
And I don't believe this political correctness is a stray bullet from the devil but it is intentional bullet from Satan to try to continue to remove any discourse with the culture about the Lord. These may be "man-made" holidays, but the fact is our culture did for reasons I won't get into did choose these days for remembrance and celebration.
You see, if we can take the Thanksgiving out of Thanksgiving then we take out of the conversation with the culture, what you are "thankful" from God for. If Thanksgiving becomes Turkey Day then I can't say to a person what are you thankful to God for - all I can say is - how was your turkey. So, while it may not be the end of the world for a believer to say "Turkey Day", I don't think he should say Turkey Day nor do I think he should just say "holiday", but say how was your Thanksgiving and either use that as opportunity to share the gospel or edify another believer and discuss what they were thankful for.
Similarly, if we take the Christ out of Christmas then we do take away the reason for the season.
Thanks for your thoughts, Carlo. You made some excellent points.
As you gathered, I carry a bit of baggage into this that I'm trying not to unpack all over djp's comments. I probably should just write about it on my own blog. :o)
I'm not disagreeing with you or the original post, but merely thinking out loud.
I'm dismayed that it struck you as it did, W&L. Carlo basically represents my intent.
I'm old enough to have seen various cultural shifts, and they're not for the better. Wait until I get started on Christmas. I remember when the comics page said respectful things about Christ at Christmastime. It made me, as an unbeliever, think about Him.
Then kicked in the destructive grind of suicidal cultural hostility to any vestige of the Christianity that contributed to the blessings we enjoy as a nation. We like the party and the party-favors; we despise the Guest of Honor. So we focus on the treats and toys, and the merchants gin up ways to profit from the branches by snubbing the root (to mix metaphors).
And so in brief what I'm doing is standing, as one guy, and saying "Not me." And inviting others to join.
Ingratitude is not a trivial sin (Romans 1:21-23). It's pretty sickening to me to see a culture so laden with blessings of kindness unparalleled in history, trivializing the one day we set aside as a country to say "Thank You" for a smarmy, cutesy, ain't-I-clever? dodge.
If I ever have the good fortune to be at your house for your birthday, and one of the other guests wishes me a "happy cake-party," I'll probably say, "Actually, I'm here to celebrate Staci and her birthday."
And if they call me a legalist?
I could probably live with it.
I don't know. Cake-day doesn't sound too bad. I would have stopped having birthdays six years ago if it wasn't for the cake. :o)
I really do understand what you're saying, and I do agree, but I was trying to speak up for the sweet little old lady who says Turkey Day with the best of intentions. I wouldn't want her to get lambasted.
And I KNOW that you would never do that, but I've seen these kinds of ideas run amok in other circles.
But you're right. Words are important, and we do need to make the most of any opportunity we can to remind nonbelievers (and ourselves), of the source of all our blessings.
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